Innehållsförteckning för Issue 99 från NZ Hunter

I hope the New Year had been treating you all as well as it has us. We finally managed to get away for a real adventure with 15 days in the Hooker/ Landsborough Wilderness Area. What a great break that was! We ran a little short of food and eventually got chased out by that big rain that washed out South Westland again, but the only negative to the trip was seeing so many nanny tahr in places we haven't seen them before. We definitely have more work to do in Management Unit 6 A lot of people have been asking when the new Hunting and Fishing Minister is going to start doing something, and I have to say be patient. We've had preliminary discussions and the poor beggars have…

This gave him a chance to pack all our things, and double check we had everything. Then, at the end of the school day, my Mum and little brother dropped us at the airport, with a lot of “be careful” from Mum as we departed. After a short stop in Wellington, we were on the next flight to Christchurch; when we got there and collected bags, gun, and bow, we quickly found out that the authorities in Wellington wanted our bullets more than we did, apart from the three in the magazine. We found our rental car, stopped off for a bit of dinner then off to the motel for a doze. The next morning, we were up and early and off to Ashburton for some backcountry, gas, and a…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To A SERIES PROFILING A TAHR BALLOT BLOCK EACH ISSUE Along with the original landing site situated up the main branch of the Barlow at about 1000 meters, we now have an additional landing site this year in the North Branch at about 800 meters above sea level The new landing site is a great addition as it opens up some stunning but steep country, with a good mix of alpine tussock and lower scrub country. I guess the only disappointment here will be from the handful of more adventurous hunters I know that were already making the effort to climb over and traverse the North branch, no doubt inspired by the previous lack of pressure. With both branches of the Barlow hemmed in by 2000 meter…

You need to know what your actual velocity is as a monitor on pressure and to calculate your down range ballistics. You also need to know how consistent your velocity is. While shot to shot variations in velocity may not affect you much up close, they cause vertical spread in your groups as the range increases. HISTORY OF CHRONOGRAPHS Most early chronographs used a series of sky screens that relied on seeing the shadow of the bullet passing over head to trigger a very accurate stopwatch that could then calculate the velocity from the time the projectile took to travel from the start screen to the stop screen. These were plagued with problems such as varying sun/light angles and intensity, reflections off shiny bullets etc. To get around this on…

PROUDLY DISTRIBUTED BY BERETTA NZ SAKO 90 QUEST ULTRA CARBON FIBRE BARREL, MT CERAKOTE 20”: 22-250 / 243 / 308 / 6.5 CR 24” 300 WIN / 7MM RM The Sako 90 Quest Ultra is designed for the demanding backcountry hunter who is looking for an uncompromising, versatile hunting rifle with high-level adjustability and ergonomics. Easy length-of pull adjustments and the cheek riser ensure that you will always find the perfect shooting posture and view through the scope and the Picatinny receiver allows for flexible scope mounting. The new coating on the carbon fibre stock aids in concealment at higher elevations and the texturized surface ensures perfect grip in all weather conditions. The carbon fibre wrapped stainless steel barrel provides good balance and durability without compromising performance and accuracy. The…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Food & Fauna PLACE Firstly, where exactly will you be cooking? Will it be in a hut or a field? Do you have any shelter available, or will you need to bring your own? What kind of cooking facilities are there? Will you have access to fuel to cook on, or will you need to bring everything with you? Assuming you'll be able to pack up a truck or trailer, do you have access to power? Will there be a fridge available, or will you need to rely on chilli bins or a nearby river to keep everything cool? You'll also need to make sure you have fresh drinking water and hot water for cleaning up. Will you need to bring your own water supply, or will…

Screening Sundays 8:30PM on TVNZ DUKE – Freeview 6 / Sky 23 Episode 1: Feb 4 ‘Hedging Bets for a Red’ Willie and Greg split teams to improve their chances of securing a Red stag before they drop their antlers. A giant is located and the stakeout begins… Episode 2: Feb 11 ‘Tour of the South’ The team head South for an impressive 4WD and hunting tour through the Otago high country. With some venison and pork on the deck, can Luke break his jinx and catch that elusive big mountain boar on camera? Episode 3: Feb 18 ‘Two Times a Test’ New team member Kieran is thrust into action on a classic Canterbury Red stag and Chamois hunt. When the first trip proves testing, can they pull it off on the second…

This particular plan had been in the pipeline for well over a month, but had been hampered by dodgy weather and work commitments. Time was going to be of the essence so I took a day off work to ensure I could give this a decent nudge. As I slithered through the Haast Pass, I caught glimpses of the sun-struck faces standing up in all their glory; fizz levels were building. After an hour's worth of scratching my truck through what seemed like every shrub species known to man, and avoiding very deep root-infested wheel ruts, I was at my destination. With my swag rolled out, I was pitted for the evening, looking forward to an early morning escapade, which consisted of two immediate river crossings. I woke to the…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To Ungulates have it all over us in the eye department in their ability to detect movement. But what do we have to do in order to make a shot on an animal with a bow? Movement. So, we have to do the very thing we shouldn't do in order to be successful. Hmmmmm…. A few weeks back, I had located a big old Red stag. He carried six points all up and was never destined for much more than the freezer. I watched his progress and planned a stalk; it wasn't long, and the distance between us was 45 yards, but no clean shot came about. So, I shadowed him for a little while until I could close in even more. He was 28 yards…

You could stumble across that trophy of a lifetime or nothing at all. The only guarantee is that when you get home those squiggly lines on the topo map will now hold a memory of time well spent. Within that, being able to live out of your backpack provides a sense of freedom that's hard to replicate. You can camp where you want, eat when you want and go as far (or near) as your mind and body will let you – or to the extent the wilderness allows. Everything you need to thrive and survive is within arm's reach nestled on your back. Once you've got the essentials packed, the decisions you make with the gear you carry have a massive influence on your experience. There's a certain level…

A new Government and new opportunities 2024 is full of promise for the hunting sector. A new Government with new ideas and a stated willingness to work with the GAC and other parts of the sector on improving hunting and the progressive management of game animals will bring new opportunities. The GAC has already had some very productive conversations with the Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Todd McClay, and has provided formal advice to both Minister McClay and new Conservation Minister Tama Potaka through our Briefing to Incoming Ministers, which is now available on the GAC website (www.nzgac.org.nz). It is important to the GAC, and we believe, important to the future of hunting and game animals in New Zealand, that there is a continued emphasis on the development and implementation…

Feral Goat Capra hircus Male = Billy Female = Nanny Young = Kid Feral goats are one of the most commonly hunted animals in New Zealand, considered both the “rabbit of big game”, as well as the “wapiti of small game”. Their widespread distribution, high population numbers and tendency to be easier to hunt than deer make goats a common target for hunters all around the country. Beginner hunters often “cut their teeth” on goats, and they provide both good trophies and tasty meat. After all, who doesn't like goat curry? Initial Liberations: Captain James Cook first released goats (alongside pigs) into New Zealand in June 1773 in Queen Charlotte Sound. Numerous further liberations followed, particularly on offshore islands, to provide food for castaways and sailors. Most of these liberations…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Testfire Spika is a relatively new brand to New Zealand and as well as producing a large amount of outdoor clothing and hunting equipment, they are supplying the InfiRay line of products. One of the products reviewed was the TL35 V2 tube scope and the viewer was the Finder FH35R. Both items worked well and were of good quality and high functionality. As is the way with technology and the speed that improvements are made and introduced to market, Infiray have recently released a new version of the viewer and (not surprisingly) it is called the FH35R V2. V2 as in ‘version 2’. So, guess who got to have a play? I mean use the new version clinically and analytically and then report back. So, let's get…

Something had to give and for myself, that's been my own personal time in the outdoors. Moving to a new area last summer meant that the ease of just popping out to a spot where I knew birds would be close by or passing through was not going to be the normback to square one. Finding new spots to hunt isn't always easy and more often than not, it is going to chew up time.. That being the case, I had to be a bit smarter and kill two birds with one stone. The kids needed some time out of the house, my wife definitely would appreciate a bit of a break, the fly rod seemed to be calling my name and there you have it, a handful of very…

The second bit of motivation was hosting the crew from Sako international and Beretta New Zealand to film the launch of the Sako 90. (This was a huge undertaking with 17 crew plus all of us at Lake Heron Station!) Anyway! Once we'd finally got magazine HQ somewhat out of immediate danger, and since we were heading south for the Sako event anyway, I decided to head down a few days early and drag Jake my younger brother with me. I'd had plenty of good chats with our local bow hunter/goat culler about the area. As we all know there can be some great heads in South Marlborough but a sustained history of WARO combined with some fairly arid country means they're few and far between. You have to cover…

On arriving at the carpark for access to the Kaimanawas, we threw our backpacks on then set off on a 5½ hour hike to the first campsite. This particular spot had yielded some good results over the years but we were prepared with campsites B & C in different areas if the first one was occupied. The bonus about the roar and packing in light was the chance of seeing the odd animal. We passed up on a young 8-pointer Sika stag which was within 10 metres, plus a young hind also in our crosshairs. We spooked about three or four more animals along the way, but other than that, it was an uneventful trip in. Dropping over the top of the leading ridge and within 300 metres or so…

With a weekend of clear weather scheduled for the Wanaka area, the pack was thrown in the back of the truck and a plan was hatched to get into some areas of a catchment where I had spent a bit of time over the last couple of years. Unfortunately, work commitments got in the way, and it became evident I wasn't going to get into the intended location until after midnight on Friday, so an early start on Saturday morning was the compromise. I arrived in the chosen catchment at daybreak and, to my surprise, there was only one other hunting wagon present. With no note of intentions, I had to make some decisions regarding where they might have headed, which is always a tricky one. Having made up my…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To However, the pursuit of game birds, like other forms of hunting, is facing increased scrutiny and challenges in the face of changing views on the management of some species, mounting attention to the sentience of animals, and ongoing debate around firearms control. Now, Fish & Game New Zealand has launched a high-profile campaign to get more Kiwis hooked into hunting by showcasing its culture and heritage, the contribution hunters make towards protecting the environment, the benefits to hunters’ mental health and wellbeing, and highlighting how lucky Kiwis are to be able to harvest sustainable wild food. Fish & Game's ReWild campaign, launched in Christchurch in November, aims to inspire more New Zealanders to hunt and fish, not only for the adventure it offers, but also…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To After our huge Cook/Balfour trip and the spectacular bull I was fortunate enough to take home, I started thinking about how I could share that physical reminder with the rest of the crew. I had heard tales of clients in the states and Alaska getting replica moulds made of the expensive trophy Stone or Bighorn rams and gifting them to guides. I looked in to this option and it was prohibitively expensive for a kiwi magazine editor! I let the idea bubble away in the back of my mind for a while, considering a few options, but nothing gave the guys something to physically hold in their hands. In this time Roy Sloan asked for some brainstorming ideas prior to their Winter Wapiti Weekend, and…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To It is located partway up the Thomas Valley, a tributary of the Haast River in South Westland. Geoff Spearpoint of Birdlings Flat is the contract signatory and looks after two other huts in the area, Roaring Billy and Tunnel Creek. In 2016 Geoff used some Back Country Trust funding to carry out hut repairs and trackwork in the Thomas valley. Shortly after, in 2018-19, a series of floods washed out a large section of riverbank and left the hut hanging over the edge. Department of Conservation staff from Haast came to the party at that point, cleared some forest on higher ground, and winched the hut out of harm's way. In September 2019 a volunteer/ DOC team moved it to the new site and in…

Photo Gallery The winning photo receives a Hunting & Fishing voucher to the value of $100. Send all your photos to editor@nzhunter.co.nz Note: Photos must be of a suitable size for printing - a minimum file size of 1MB is preferred.…

NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE Testfire Initially we used a soft shell tent, the fold-out type, from Ironman. We loved this for a number of years and did well over 10,000 k's with it on the back of the Hilux. What we really wanted though was easier takedown system. When I say we, I mean me. I'm a grumpy bugger in the mornings and we usually like to be up and away early one way or another, be it for hunting or travelling. Clambering around the wet or muddy ute to attach the soft cover did my head in so I'd been watching the guys with hard-shell rooftop tents closely. The major limitation of a rooftop tent (RTT ) was that once it was set up the vehicle was out of action.…